1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible single-crystal film and a method of manufacturing the same from a single-crystal wafer. That is, the present invention can manufacture a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer comprising a base wafer, one or more buried insulator layers, and a single-crystal layer into a flexible single-crystal film with a desired thickness by employing various wafer thinning techniques.
The present invention also relates to manufacturing a flexible film on which various electronic devices are manufactured from a single-crystal semiconductor wafer. That is, the present invention can manufacture a flexible single-crystal film with desired thickness having various electronic devices by employing a variety of wafer thinning techniques once the electronic devices of desired characteristics on the SOI wafer, comprising the base wafer, buried insulator layers, and single-crystal layer, are constructed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At present, electronic apparatuses have drastically improved in design, shifting from lightweight and compact designs to overall and enhanced flexibility. With the growth of mobile wireless Internet and electronic commercial transactions, demand has particularly increased for new flexible displays. As such, the present invention can be applied to foldable radiotelephones, PDAs, flexible electronic books, electronic newspapers, and the like commercially. The present invention can also be applied to electronic blackboards, displays for CAD/CAM, electric signs, and electric billboards.
In spite of the demand for such flexible electronic apparatuses, the major reason for the delay in developing a flexible electronic apparatus is that there is no substrate material from which electronic devices of the desired characteristics are stably manufactured. For example, in the case of a flexible LCD display, the flexible substrate is required in order to stably manufacture a TFT (thin film transistor) array. Up to now, there have been methods for manufacturing the TFT array by forming amorphous silicon or poly-silicon for manufacturing electronic devices on a flexible, transparent plastic substrate under low temperature or by transferring poly-silicon TFT array manufactured on a glass substrate into flexible plastic substrate, and for manufacturing organic TFT using a smooth and organic semiconductor.
However, in the case of electronic devices using a plastic substrate or a plastic substrate after manufacturing electronic devices on a glass substrate, deformation can occur due to different thermal expansion coefficients between organic substrate and inorganic electronic devices. Organic semiconductors, in fact, can cause the electronic devices to lack the desired characteristics.